“Parents often ask me about advice on what can help their autistic children. I am not an autism expert but I believe that some things might have worked for my own personal situation as a child.” Eric Chen is one of Singapore’s first autistic autism advocate and the founder of WhatsApp Autism Community Singapore.
Almost everyone is affected with the announcement on workplace and school closures. In particular, caregivers of children with special needs will need respite and support over this ‘circuit-breaker’ period. In this article, Dr. May Lim, an Associate Professor at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and a member of SPD’s Services Committee, has provided some tips for caregivers on how to look after their children and themselves.
MINDS is collaborating with Key Word Sign (Australia) and Singapore Association for the Deaf to develop Key Word Sign (Singapore). This article introduces some basic Key Word Signs (KWS) that help facilitate communication with persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
ADHD children may not be able to handle simple day-to-day tasks that teachers expect, and other children take for granted. Yet they do have strengths. What they need is understanding and support to help them cope in class. This article by Society for the Promotion of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Research & Knowledge (SPARK) provides practical classroom management tips for teachers and tutors for ADHD students.
As quality intervention most often takes place in the child’s natural environment, caregivers’ involvement is important in extending learning opportunities to children with developmental needs at home. In this article, SPD’s early intervention teacher, Gerry Da, explains how caregivers can play the role of the teacher at home.
“My 5-year-old son does not like talking to me or responding to my questions. He talks only when he wants something from me.” If you are facing similar challenges as a caregiver, here are some useful tips from SPD’s speech therapist, Ridhima Batra, to help you engage your child in conversation.
Joy is a powerful tool for solving childhood challenges and promoting brain health. Yet in our culture of doing, teaching, treating and pathologizing, too often we forget that when a child needs help, the first thing we should increase is joy. Here the author stresses the importance of finding many opportunities for moments of joy every day with our children.
In the previous article, “Managing Challenging Behaviours in Children – Part 1”, SPD’s early intervention psychologist, Jacelyn Loh, introduced five strategies that caregivers can use to manage their children’s challenging behaviours. Jacelyn shares more methods in this second part of the series.
Some caregivers may be at a loss as to what to do when their child displays challenging behaviours. If you are one of them, the good news is that there are strategies that you can make use of to manage your child’s emotions. In this first of a two-part series, SPD’s early intervention psychologist, Jacelyn Loh, shares how.
What is the secret to a happy life? Sam Berns who was diagnosed with a rare rapid ageing disease called progeria shares his advice for a happy life.
Julia is a four-year-old girl with autism. Her mom, Elena, is an art teacher and her dad, Daniel, is an EMT who plays the saxophone. She also has a neurotypical big brother, Samuel, and a dog, Rose. Her videos of her life in Sesame Street will warm the cockles of your heart.
Play is the most important part of every child’s life and it is crucial for their development. Written by a team of psychologists from MINDS, this article explains why we should play with our children, and how to do so.
Written by a team of psychologists from MINDS, this article explains why children may refuse to go to school and what you as the caregiver can do about it.
Written by a team of psychologists from MINDS, this article explains why children throw tantrums or behave aggressively and provide useful tips for managing such behaviours.
Written by a team of psychologists from MINDS, this article explains what Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is, its symptoms and causes, and how caregivers can manage a child with ADHD.
Written by a team of psychologists from MINDS, this article explains how you can manage your child’s sexuality awareness and related issues.
Written by a team of psychologists from MINDS, this article explains reasons why a child might exhibit self-injurious behaviours and what you can do to manage it?
Written by a team of occupational therapists from MINDS, this article explains what sensory processing disorders (SMDs) are, why sensory processing is important and what parents can do to manage children with SMD at home.
Written by a team of occupational therapists from MINDS, this article explains the components of fine motor skills, factors that influence fine motor skills and how you can help your child improve these skills.
Written by a team of occupational therapists from MINDS, this article covers activities for improving a child’s handwriting.
As caregivers, we have a major role in helping our children build up a healthy self-esteem. Written by a team of psychologists from MINDS, here are 7 ways we can improve our children’s self-esteem.
It is important to help children develop social skills so that they can establish relationships and exhibit behaviours that are age-appropriate and culturally acceptable. Written by a team of psychologists from MINDS, here are 4 ways we can use to develop our children’s social skills.
ADL are essential activities that we perform in our daily lives. Most children with disabilities have difficulties performing self-care. It is important that we help develop ADL skills in children and encourage them to be independent, thus decreasing their dependence on caregivers. Written by MINDS’ Occupational Therapists, this guide explains how we can get started with developing ADL skills through activity analysis and intervention strategies.
June’s coming right up and we’ve done our best to put together the most comprehensive list of holiday activities for you. The list is systematically organised: first by the type of SEN support provided, then by the dates. Useful information such as a short description of the activities, age groups, time slots, costs and location are also provided.
Our children with special educational needs (SEN) require more specialised support in their education. One way to find out more about the programmes, culture and support a school offers is to visit the schools during an Open House. We have updated the list of Government-funded SPED schools (including Rainbow Centre Yishun Park School (RCYPS), which opened at Marsiling Lane in 2018). The list is organised by type of SEN support the schools provide, and contains information about the programmes, age groups of students, and updated information about the dates for Open House.
“If I were in Sebastien’s body and functioning with his mind, I seriously doubt that I would fare that much better…” This is the inspirational story of how a mother of an aggressive teenager with autism coped with puberty, the general public and her own emotions.
Looking for a fun and meaningful event for your child to participate in over the March holidays? Look no further as PEEKABOO! is here this March!
PEEKABOO! is organised by Superhero Me in partnership with Rainbow Centre. The purpose of this event is to bring together children with and without special needs together.
In the past, it was uncommon to hear about people with disabilities to participate in sports. People have always questioned their capability and at times have rejected the idea of playing sports with them. This misconception has resulted in children with disability being excluded from games at schools. Even when they have grown up, it …
As your child approaches adulthood, you might be wondering, “Who will take care of my child when I’m gone?” or “Will my child be able to get a job and survive on their own?”
In this article, we will be covering some of the ways you can provide for your child, employment and housing programmes, as well as schemes available for adults with special needs.
Mattel added two new Barbies to their 2019 Fashionista collection – one in a wheelchair and another with a prosthetic leg. In this article, we talk about why representation matters and other amazing brands and movements changing the way we think about physical disability through toys.
Here’s a list of the various government schemes that may help support your child’s education financially.
A guide to assistive technology and transportation schemes available in Singapore for children with special needs.
This is a comprehensive list of almost all of the current treatments that are available for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Taken from the book “The Autism Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Diagnosis, Treatment, Coping, and Healing” by Karen Siff Exkorn.
Finding the academic curriculum of best fit for your child is a matter of understanding what he needs in order to realise his fullest potential. We have gathered a set of comprehensive guidelines and resources to assist you as you decide on the perfect environment for your child to flourish.
As parents of children with autism, it can be overwhelming having to handle your child’s health related problems. On top of that, there’s the educational and intervention programmes, financial matters and the day-to-day stresses of living with autism to worry about. Receiving social and emotional support can make things a lot less daunting …
What are the available treatments and therapies for autism? Which centres in Singapore offer autism therapy? Need nutrition tips for children with autism? Which of the health-related ‘facts’ commonly said about autism are actually true?
Education When your kids are ready to move on to formal education – primary school and later on secondary school, there are several options that you can look into. The best way to determine which academic path is right for your child is to consult your current therapist or speak with your …
As your child approaches schooling age, you may begin to wonder if your child should attend a mainstream school or a Special Education (SPED) school. This article lays out the differences and considerations to assist you in making your decision.
Our detailed guide covering everything you need to know about cerebral palsy – complete with Singapore-specific government schemes, resources, schools and inspiring stories.
Finding the right service provider can be a daunting task. We have compiled this list of helpful questions to guide you.